The carrier landing process involves the interaction of ship motions, the optical landing system, the pilot/air craft combination, air wake disturbances, and the Landing Signal Officer. Mathematical models for these elements are discussed, and methods are presented for determining operational performance indices from terminal landing error dispersion data. A new concept is described for stabilizing the optical landing system against carrier deck motions, which represent one of the most significant obstacles to safe aircraft recovery. Termed compensated-meatball stabilization, this technique considers the dynamics of the carrier landing system elements and optimizes the Fresnel lens logic scheme for increased landing performance. Simulator experiments were performed to determine the potential accident rate reduction with this stabilization method, and the major results are presented. A significant interaction exists between an aircraft design parameter, related to the lift curve slope, and the optical landing system stabilization. The fundamental factors limiting terminal landing performance are described and several basic solutions to the problem are presented.
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Durand et al. (1967) studied this question.